The Acting Prime Minister

Having lived a life of prestige and struggle, Gulzarilal Nanda will go down in history, solely as the interim Prime Minister of India (PM) - but it is essential to note that his brief time as the executive head of the government of India, took place at two crucial stages of the Indian history.

Gulzarilal Nanda of Indian National Congress swearing in as the acting Prime Minister of India.27-05-1964

The first time Nanda took over the position of PM, the country was still reeling from the death of Jawaharlal Nehru in the year 1964. There was further tension due to the recently ended China War of 1962. During the thirteen-day period of his tenure, Nanda’s position was extremely volatile and sensitive. Fortunately, it passed calmly and Lal Bahadur Shastri was elected as the next Prime Minister. His second and final stint as PM was once again at a time of international duress, after the unexpected death of Shastri in 1966. As Home Minister when the country was under peril after a war with Pakistan in 1965, Gulzarilal Nanda became an acting Prime Minister for thirteen days. Showcasing his stability, this period went as routine and Indira Gandhi was soon elected.

Surprisingly, Gulzarilal Nanda spent the early stretches of his life as a scholar, though politics were to charm him very soon. A far-superior intellectual as compared to his comrades and gifted with insight, Nanda had a promising future before him.

The Freedom of Association Committee, at Geneva, Switzerland arrived at a highly critical time for the country, months before India’s Independence. Sending Gulzarilal Nanda, a greatly esteemed scholar in the field of labour studies was the logical decision and so he was sent as the Indian ambassador to Switzerland.

In the same way as the others in his time, Gulzarilal Nanda was likewise an impassioned supporter of the work of Mahatma Gandhi; he kept a close watch on the advancement of the battle against the British.

Since Nanda was an educator at the National College and enjoyed a good status there, he quit his place to join the Non-Cooperation Movement coordinated by Gandhi in 1921.

The following year he was picked to be the secretary of the Ahmedabad Textile Labor Association, a post which he held till the year 1946. During his time in the Ahmedabad Textile Labor Association, Gulzarilal Nanda joined the gathering of Satyagrahis under Mahatma Gandhi, similarly confronting detainment first in 1932 and afterwards from 1942 to 1944.

Staying true to his steadfast determination, the Indian Planning Commission welcomed Nanda as their Vice-Chairman. Moving up steadily, he was chosen as the Planning Minister of India, a highly reputed post. In such a manner, he undertook responsibility for the areas of irrigation and power in the Indian government.

At the ripe age of 99, the country bid adieu to the acting Prime Minister, as Gulzarilal Nanda passed away on January 15, 1998.